Nelson Ireson, Senior Editor
Articles
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To date, modified Jaguar XFs have been something of a hit-or-miss affair, with some of the end results arguably bringing the base car down, rather than kicking it up a notch. The Ecurie Ecosse XF,... -
HKS teams with Hyundai for SEMA Genesis CoupeThe all-new Genesis Coupe is prepared to hit SEMA with at least two fully customized variants on display. Already Rhys Millen Racing's tuned Coupe has been previewed, and now HKS has announced its version will be in Las Vegas this November as well. The car, built around the entry-level Genesis...
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Tata Motors EV capable of 110mi on single chargeGeneral Motors' Volt plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) and Toyota's upcoming plug-in version of the Prius are getting a lot of attention for their low-emissions, partial electric-only travel modes. But Tata Motors' EV currently in development in Norway has almost three times the 40mi...
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Bob Lutz calls for crash-test freeze to aid small-car productionA number of small and fuel-efficient cars in General Motors' global portfolio, such as the Chevrolet Beat (concept pictured), are being kept from U.S. sale because of differences in the official crash test procedures to those in Europe and elsewhere. Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman and chief of...
Nelson Ireson -
Kia releases official details for new Soul hatchUpdated with new interior shots. Kia will use next month’s Paris Motor Show to debut its new Soul hatch, which is set to go on sale in South Korea at the end of the year and eventually Europe and North America in the first half of next year. The Soul will be available in Europe with a choice...
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Veyron driver attempts impromptu tractor impressionAnother Veyron has met a bitter and untimely end, this time at the hands of a driver apparently convinced the car was suitable for plowing a wheat field in West Berkshire, UK. The crumpled front end and left front quarter panel, undercarriage and collapsed windshield indicate this was more than a...
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Reports of former Super Aguri driver Takuma Sato's testing for Toro Rosso began springing up last week, and now the team has confirmed the Japanese driver will take the wheel for the Jerez test. Toro... -
GM suing workers for $450,000 over employee discount fraudOn August 20, General Motors began a highly publicized campaign expanding its employee discount program to the public at large. Around the same time, GM also began filing lawsuits against workers that had previously been doing exactly that - expanding the discount to non-employees and people...
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Japan building national charging station network for future EVsBuilding hundreds of quick-recharge power stations across the island nation is Japan's first step toward welcoming a new era of motoring. Expecting a rapid roll-out of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles beginning next year, the country is rapdily preparing to become a welcoming environment for...
Nelson Ireson -
Update: Record-setting convoy honors life of Colin McRaeUpdate: An immense gathering of nearly 1,100 Subarus to honor the life and career of late rally legend Colin McRae set several new world records over the weekend, spelling the driver's name out with cars on the tarmac of the Prodrive test track. That feat alone smashed the previous Guiness Book of...
Nelson Ireson -
BMW builds last Z4 at Spartanburg plantBMW is planning to reveal a concept version for its next-generation Z4 at the Los Angeles Auto Show this November, but the current generation of the car is still in dealerships across the country. The final example of the more than 9,300 cars to roll off the assembly line at BMW's Spartanburg plant...
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Toyota working on iQ hybrid?Talking points for Toyota executives over the past year have kept a heavy emphasis on plans to offer every vehicle in the lineup as a hybrid, with the most recent promises highlighting the emissions savings already achieved by the Prius and other hybrids. Now reports of Toyota's upcoming tiny city...
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Updated with new information
A recent report from J.D. Power & Associates indicates Indian company Mahindra & Mahindra's (M&M) consumer-level products may not be ready for prime time in the world's... -
Jeep Patriot and Compass receive interior updates for 2009The two smallest SUVs in Jeep's lineup, the Compass and Patriot, are getting all-new interiors for 2009 to help boost sales and fix problems with the previous models' design and materials. The two vehicles are the only ones in Chrysler's lineup that will be getting the upgrades for the 2009 model...
Nelson Ireson -
Wald bodykit for the BMW 3-seriesTuners have been known to go to extravagant lengths to create a 'unique' interpretation of a vehicle, and German-car tuners are no exception, even if the company doing the tuning is Japanese. From over-the-top bodykits to insane amounts of power, no stone is left unturned. Wald's 3-series bodykit...
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2009 Honda Civic Coupe revealedJust a week ago Honda officially unveiled the 2009 Civic sedan and Hybrid, but today we can bring you all-new pictures of the coupe, thanks to a gallery released by Honda. The images show the changes for 2009 aren't tremendous, as expected, but do include enough detail for the enthusiast to spot...
Nelson Ireson -
Monaco fields A1GP team, series heads to IndonesiaThe racing series that bills itself as the 'World Cup of Motorsport', A1GP, has secured an entry from the principality of Monaco. Flying the red and white colors of the Monaco flag and carrying the personal blessing of Prince Albert II, the car will contest the full series for the 2009 season...
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RENNtech plans Pikes Peak rally-style GLKMercedes' GLK compact SUV is still not officially on sale despite being revealed in production form ahead of the Beijing Motor Show in April. But that's not stopping RENNtech from tuning a special Pikes Peak-inspired version for the upcoming SEMA trade show in November. So far actual information...
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Despite regular legal tussles with rivals like Tesla and the occasional production set-back due to the high-tech nature of the product, Fisker is aiming to get its Karma plug-in hybrid car to market... -
Production Chevrolet Volt spotted on Transformers 2 setThe production Chevrolet Volt is still a few weeks away from its first official reveal but images of the car have surfaced thanks to filming on the set of the Transformers 2 movie, which it is set to appear in. The 'Volt' name can clearly be seen at the rear of the car as well as on the...
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Lutz concedes Toyota plug-in will likely beat Volt to marketUpdate: General Motors’ product chief Bob Lutz has a revealed that test fleets for the production Chevrolet Volt would start running as early as next year and that the first customer cars could start rolling of assembly lines earlier than the proposed November 2010 release date. However, Lutz...
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Hummer announces off-road driving academy in the SaharaDriving prowess is something many automotive enthusiasts take pride in, and off-road driving skills are an equally difficult subset, which few have the real opportunity to develop. Hummer hopes to help 14 teams build their skills with a school that includes a 1,300km trip that crosses a portion of...
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Phil Hill, American racing legend, dies at 81The first American ever to win the Formula One world championship, Phil Hill, died today in a Monterey, California hospital of respiratory failure. The racing champ took the Formula One title in 1961. Pictured above is Hill driving his 1962 Ferrari 156 F1 car on the Nurburgring. Other racing feats...
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California sees pay-as-you-go insurance plans as green alternativePitched by the insurance companies as a way to save money by only paying for the distance actually driven, pay-as-you-go insurance plans have recently risen in popularity for their 'green' connotations. By charging the premium on the basis of actual distance traveled, it can serve as an incentive...
Nelson Ireson